The Hindu : Sonia holds meetings, talks to Mayawati

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 02, 2004

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Sonia holds meetings, talks to Mayawati

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JAN. 1. The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, said today that she had initiated a process to mobilise secular forces in the country to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance in the next Lok Sabha elections.

Carrying forward the task of reaching out to potential allies in this task, Ms. Gandhi spoke to the Bahujan Samaj Party president, Mayawati, over telephone late last night since the latter was away in Mumbai. Preparing the party for the elections she held a series of meetings — manifesto, publicity and campaign material committees — at the AICC headquarters here this evening.

Later interacting with correspondents, she preferred not to comment on the suggestion of the Marxist leader, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, that there could be two platforms, one with the Congress plus its allies and the other with the Left parties and its allies, to meet the challenge posed by the BJP.

Having initiated discussions with leaders of other like-minded political parties, she said: "I cannot speak about one or two fronts. It is best for all of us to work together to defeat the BJP."

Ms. Gandhi said that she would continue her efforts to talk with all parties opposed to the BJP and see how best to face the challenge of defeating the ruling alliance in the next general elections. She indicated that she was not averse to talking to the Samajwadi Party in her quest to rally all anti-BJP forces.

While several issues were discussed at the party meetings, it was felt that the problem of rising unemployment could be pinned on Government policies. The Congress has set up a central election management cell and will replicate it at the State-level.

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